1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to foldable displays of the type typically used for presentations such as at science fairs, and more particularly, to foldable displays that are interlocking and stackable so as to create larger and more complicate structures, and even more particularly to foldable displays having at least three panels hingedly connected to each other, wherein the panels include means for receiving corresponding means on other displays for interlocking and stacking the displays.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In today's competitive world, in the area of presentation and display there is a continuing need to standout from the competition. More and more emphasis is placed on not just the content of the presentation but on the visual appeal of the presentation itself. Local, regional and national science fairs or History Day competitions are just some examples where presentations are judged not just on content but on visual appeal.
In visiting such a competition, one will see a myriad of presentations, mostly produced on flat presentation boards that have a large center panel with a right and left panel that swings open forming a display structure. The majority of presentations are produced on flat presentation boards measuring 36″ tall and 48″ wide in the open position. There are also several shorter and narrower displays offered in the marketplace.
Most such competitions have regulations regarding the size of the exhibits allowed. The width is usually limited to 48″; however, the height restriction is usually 110″ with a depth of 30″. These size limitations may vary slightly, although the allowable height is usually greater than the displays offered in the marketplace. The reasons for these restrictions are that offering larger presentation displays would be cumbersome to sell at retail, and expensive to ship, and unwieldy to carry to and from school, such as taking it in a car or bus, and finally would require a large space for storage, which space often comes at a premium.
Due to the unwieldy nature of merchandising tall temporary displays, there are very few places where one may purchase such an item. There are a few resellers on the Internet that offer tall displays. However these displays are often expensive to purchase and to ship, and as a result out of the reach of the masses.
With all of these obvious negatives and the difficulty of obtaining tall displays, at these competitions one will see many tall exhibits and presentations where the creator of the exhibit will have built a custom tall exhibit from wood, cardboard, or, with the help of tape or adhesive, or other fastening mechanism, will have stacked two or more flat presentation boards to reach a desired height.
There are a variety of existing structures that are designed to fold flat and assemble easily to achieve great heights. There are already a number of such patented constructions that achieve this in different way. Examples include Swingbox, Adbox, and a variety of pop-up display structures that use clever means to set up into a taller structure, such as with the use of rubber bands. Another widely known method of creating a taller structure is by folding it, as in an easel type display for a life sized celebrity that unfolds and is set up in a promotional or merchandising venue.
Although the other solutions exist in the marketplace, some of which are rather elegant, they are expensive to produce, often requiring sophisticated production methods and/or hand assembly as in the pop up rubber band mechanisms.